CAIRO: Challenged by the ongoing turmoil sweeping the region, former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil el-Araby took over as secretary general of the Arab League this week. El-Araby is replacing Amr Moussa, another former Egyptian foreign minister, who after serving his 10-year role as head of the Arab League has decided to resign his position. Moussa is now hoping to take the reigns of his home country in the first presidential elections since former President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in a popular uprising on February 11. El-Araby was elected to lead the Arab League after last minute diplomatic issues left him as the only standing candidate. The unexpected outcome of his candidacy came as a result of the withdrawal of diplomat Mustafa al-Fikki just before the official voting. This surprise announcement was welcomed by a standing ovation from the members of the Arab League. El-Araby, which admitted to not having prepared a speech, addressed the 22-member body on the extremely difficult task he and the Arab League will face in the upcoming years. “The Arab world is going through a serious crisis. We must all join hands and try to search for solutions to raise the status of Arab countries and to achieve the demands of the people,” he said. Fikki, which was a diplomat under Mubarak's regime, had withdrawn from the candidacy due to the intense opposition he faced from the Egyptian people and many members of the Arab League. Protesters, furious with the prospect of having Fikki lead the Arab League, gathered outside the Cairo Arab League headquarters demanding his removal as a candidate. Once el-Araby's success was announced the relieved protesters began chanting and cheering. Similarly to the protesters, the Arab League members feel confident of el-Araby's election. Yusuf el-Ahmed, Syria's ambassador to the Arab League stated: “We are full of hope that the Arab League under his leadership will open new horizons for Arab cooperation.” El-Araby, a US-educated international law expert, worked at the International Court of Justice from 2001 until 2006 and was Cairo's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva and New York. As a young diplomat, el-Araby was part of the Camp David negotiating team that led to Israel's peace treaty with Egypt in 1979. Since Mubarak's ouster, el-Araby had been pivotal in paving Egypt's new foreign policy. Once appointed foreign minister under Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's cabinet, he led the way to reopening the Rafah border with Gaza and assisting in the Hamas and Fatah reconciliation efforts. Despite the exhaustive work el-Araby has accomplished, the 75 year-old openly claimed in his acceptance speech that this is the toughest assignment he has ever had. In a region rampant with political upheaval, el-Araby's new role as head of the Arab League will be crucial to the integration of popular demands into the future transformation and development of the Arab world. BM
